The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-26
THE FARMERS AND THE AGRI-
CULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
A Lively Meeting.

were present at the meeting, called
by the Board of Agriculture, on the
evening of the 18th inst, in Raleigh.
We had no means of ascertaining
the number of farmers in attendance
not as many as we had expected.
The meeting was held in the House
of Representatives, and was opened
with a neat and patriotic speech by
Gov. Scales. He welcomed the
farmers and citizens in behalf of the
Boarl. They were not invited to
u~tain any man or any department,
but to speak their honest sentiments
in behalf oftheir homes and children.
He was greatly gratitied with the
evidences of progress and invoked
harmony and good feeling; said it
was a farmers meeting and that it
would be proper for a farmer to pre-
side. Called for DR.. G. w. Sander
lin, but he was not present. He then
called Col. G. Z. French to the chair.
The Col. was evidently not pre-
pared for it, but with his character
istic readiness for emergencies, he
soon appeared at ease He gave the
origin of the department of Agricul-
ture. Four Changers in the Con-
stitutional Convention of 1875 Sc
cured the adoption of the clause in
the Constitution which authorized
it. A subsequent Legislature adopted
it. He said it was understood that
some of the members of the Board
desired to speak, and he would call
for Mr.. Leazer. At this point a
motion was adopted restricting the
speeches to fifteen minutes.
Mr.. Leazer complimented Col.
French very gracefully, IS the father
and founder of the Department and
to whom the farmers were indebted
more than to any other man for it.
Gave the history of it in the Con-
vention of 1875, and said the next
Legislature in 1877 created it. He
made a plain, sensible speech.
DR.. Battle was next called out.
He, too, said that the farmers we're
indebted to the four Changers for
the Department and that the Legis-
lature of 1877 created it. Spoke at
length of the physiological charac-
teristics Of our State, and what the
Board had done to show them to the
world. Spoke of the experiment
station, it's work, the oyster survey,
the wor> Of fish propagation, &c.
He was followed by Col. W. F.
Green, who paid his respects to the
papers whicn had been guilty OF
"frivo!uu> criticisms of the Board.
Dwell at length on the work accom-
plished by the Board, and made a
good argument in favor ofindustrial
education, and said that he believed
that $4,000 Of the money used by
the board, could, without detriment,
be taken and applied to the Indus
trial School. He referred, in most
complimentary terms; to the honor
won by Forsyth county at the State
Exposition, and ascribed it to the
habits and thoughts and energy
which mark the industries of that
people. They were not ashamed to
work, they honored labor, and
taught the young to work.
1t was painfully evident to every
listener that these speeches of the
members of the Board were labored
efforts in defence of the Department
and that the speakers seemed to feel
that they were on trial and that
their hearers had been empanelled
as a jury to try them. 1t was now
announced that the farmers would
be heard from.
Mr.. S. Ohio Wilson, of Wake, said
he a there under the call Of the
Board, and was the representative
Of Swift Creek Farmers club, No. |.
That his club had been discussing
the Department with much interest,
that several important changes
should be made, and that he was
sent with instructions to present the
following resolutions expressing the
sense of his club, and to ask the
Convention to adopt them:
Z Resoloed, That the necessities OF the
farmers of North Carolina require the
establishment of an agricultural college
and that the proceeds of the land-scrip
fund donated by the Federal Congress OF
1862 and which has been applied t o the
State University should be transferred
to the support of said college.
: Resoioed 2nd, That the State depart
ment of agriculture should be re-organ-
lied on such a basis as shall give the con-
trol orI ,,,oro,,opt az tho NJ, .,+o